Ignoring the sprawled form of Farahlia before me, I began to channel my [True Dominance] as well as pulsing magic from my sonilphon to my throat, and speaking to the rhythm of [Debilitating Diatribe]. Before me stood the gathered swarm, having gone silent at the defeat of their leader.

“Your swarm’s Alpha has submitted to me! Follow me as your true Alpha!”

Around me, the previously restless members of the opposite swarm went as still as they had been silent. Again I pulsed and spoke while channeling my magic and [Skills], and I could, somehow, innately feel the submission of those closest to me. Feeling that, I now deigned to notice the submissively prostrate Farahlia before me and spoke, loud enough for every keelish in the clearing to hear me.

“Do you submit to me, Ashlani?”

“In every way that you–”

I cut off the attempted seduction by reaching down with one arm and bodily lifting her by digging my claws into the flesh of her shoulder. Once she had been raised to eye level for me, I asked, again.

“Do you submit to me, Ashlani?”

Through uncontrollable whimpers of pain, Farahlia cried out, “Yes, yes, please let me go.”

I dropped her unceremoniously to the ground, where she again yelped out in pain and scooted herself away from me as I continued speaking.

“Now, follow me, keelish of what was Farahlia’s swarm. You are now mine, and I will show you how to grow to greater heights, such as you have never seen before.”

As I spoke, I became aware of those of my inner circle falling into position behind me. Took, with her imposing frame, Joral, Foire, Sybil (flanked by her increasingly large Wolfstags), and the rest of my swarm stood tall, and I really took in the difference between us and them. Even including individuals like Joral, who was squatter and less upright than the rest of us, every individual we had was at least 20% bigger than the individuals that made up the foreign swarm.

I felt the influence of [True Dominance] spreading across the swarm in their entirety, and a [System] message began to flash in the corner of my eye. Without looking at it yet, I gestured to Vefir to approach. Within just a moment, he was standing at my flank.

“Take care of her shoulder. Make sure she doesn’t bleed out or anything like that.”

“Y-yes Alpha.”

Vefir crouched to begin his ministrations as I turned to Took and Sybil. “You two, do what you do best with our new companions. Divide and merge, make sure they join up well with us.” I began turning back to Farahlia when Sybil jumped in.

“Is her magic still affecting you? You obviously lost a part of your self-control before that began.” She looked down at Farahlia with distrust in her eyes, and a small part of me couldn’t help but flash back to Sybil’s attempt to magically influence me before, and her flirty response to my anger.

I chuckled softly and flipped my tail affectionately against her flank. “No, I shrugged that off before it began. Thanks for your concern, but I want to get moving as soon as possible, so get moving.”

Sybil nodded curtly and went off to send her lieutenants to varying locations within the swarm to begin their propaganda while Took began taking inventory of stockpiles, hunting grounds, and other basic information from whoever would talk to her. Meanwhile, I hunched down to the healing Farahlia.

“Are you the only sane one in your swarm? All the rest seem… addled by you.”

She shrugged, “Males often think that if you let them rut you that they’re in charge. I’ve played to that idea, and many think that they’re in charge when they only get to sire a clutch or two. Thanks for this, though, Vefir. You’re a sweet one.” Her magic began bubbling out of her, and Vefir stiffened slightly under its influence, before I brought my bared claws close to her eyes, when she immediately stopped herself. Vefir’s eyes snapped back into focus, and he nodded at me before backing away as quickly as he could without running.

“Try that again, and I won’t call a healer for you after I’m done. Understood?”

She shivered, possibly in delight, and nodded in response. “I never came up against one like you. I knew that it could happen, so I am, in all honesty, willing to serve you completely.”

“What do you mean, ‘one like me’?”

Farahlia’s smile crooked her snout. “A male strong enough to simply make me obey. Females needed to be quelled every so often, but a male… there was only so much I could do. Whatever you need me to do, I will. I prefer to survive, personally.”

I nodded. “Fair enough. Prove it from here on, and get the swarm ready to move out. Before nightfall.”

She bowed deeply, arching her back and hips before stalking off, leaving me to finally look at my [Status].

[Status:

Name: Ashlani

Race: Sonic Khatif Swarm Alpha

Titles: Killer of Redael

Fahvalo of the Moonchildren

Current quests:

–Destroy or subjugate a non-keelish people. Must have a population of at least 1000 individuals and person-level intelligence. Rewards: Constitution, Strength +10, Agility +15, Intelligence, Magic +8.

--Speak the Keel Words of Power. Rewards: Constitution, Strength, Agility +10, Intelligence, Magic +7. Hidden Rewards also available.

—Establish complete control over a foreign body of keelish. Rewards: Constitution, Strength, Agility, Intelligence, Magic +4. COMPLETE.

–NEW QUEST: Hunt, kill, and devour 5 new species. Rewards: Varies by evolutionary level of prey.

Stats:

-Constitution: 94+4=98

-Strength: 107+4=111

-Agility: 113+4=117

-Intelligence: 121+4=125

-Magic: 103+4=107

Skills:

Innate Leadership—cannot evolve

Innervating Address–cannot evolve

Debilitating Diatribe–cannot evolve

Pack Tactics—current evolutionary progress: 7/10

Combatant's Bloodlust—current evolutionary progress: Hidden

True Dominance—current evolutionary progress: 2/10

Improved Vision--current evolutionary progress: 16/18

Improved Sonilphon—current evolutionary progress: Hidden

Evolutionary foresight

-Sonic Keel Alpha—Requirements: Acquire the Keel Words of Power, Receive the Blessing of Nievtala

-Khatif Heretic–Requirements: learn how to bend the governing laws to your will.

Other evolutions possible, but not currently foreseen.]

That new [Quest]... huh. That might be concerning.